|
Monument Rocks
|
Monument Rocks - All photos by Jim Mason |
Although dry here in recent years, the Smoky Hill River once had enough
flow to carve unique "badlands" in the fossil-rich chalk layers of western
Kansas. One of the best-known formations is the area known as the Monument Rocks,
sometimes referred to as the Chalk Pyramids, and officially recognized by the National
Park Service as a National Natural Landmark. |
In addition to the unusual geology, the area also offers some interesting habitat for
wildlife. Small holes in the formations provide nesting cavities for our smallest falcon,
the American kestrel. Pigeons also fly from ledge to ledge as they commonly do in most
cities. Here we gain an understanding of this introduced bird's natural habitat in Europe
and why they are also called rock doves. Pronghorns inhabit the surrounding shortgrass
prairie. Although they are large mammals, their colors make them surprisingly difficult to
see. Also in the area are coyotes, black-tailed jackrabbits, lesser earless lizards, and
the venomous western rattlesnake. Birders find Cassin's sparrows, ferruginous hawks, and
golden eagles of special interest. Common birds include horned larks, vesper sparrows,
western meadowlarks, and black-billed magpies. Winter brings prairie falcons, rough-legged
hawks, and large flocks of Lapland longspurs.
|
The window at Monument Rocks is a favorite spot for photos. |
|
The "Badlands" of Kansas, famous for its
fossils, is an area of chalk bluffs, chalk flats, and chalk pinnacles. Eighty million
years ago this region was an open ocean brimming with calcium-shelled microscopic animals
(foraminera), giant oysters, sharks, bony fish, and reptiles swimming and flying overhead.
The tests (little shells) of trillions of foraminera fell like snow to the bottom as they
died, forming thick limey ooze, which enveloped the corpses of larger animals. Through
time the ooze was covered by other sediments and pressed into chalk (a soft limestone).
Thousands of years of sculpting by the Smoky Hill River have left what you see today. This
geological formation is the Niobrara Chalk, named after bluffs of the same chalk on the
Missouri River near the mouth of the Niobrara River in northeast Nebraska. |
For further exploration of this region, acquire maps of Logan, Gove, and Trego counties
and try the back roads that criss-cross the river. There are few good east-west
drives, and many of these roads are impassable when wet! Sharks' teeth and other
fossils are exposed after rains erode the gravel and rocks. Thousands of shark teeth and
other fossils can be examined at the
Fick
Fossil and History Museum in Oakley. The famous fish-within-a-fish fossil
- as well as giant turtle, swimming and flying reptile fossils - can be seen at the
nationally recognized Sternberg Museum in
Hays. The walk-through Cretaceous diorama (complete with a life-size roaring T Rex!)
is a must-see! The Sternberg also has Miocene fossils of rhinoceros, camels, horses,
and saber tooth cats taken from Rhinoceros Hill in Wallace County and other private
quarries in Kansas.
 | No facilities. |
 Camping not allowed.
Discover what to see, eat and do in Kansas.
Plan your trip today, at TravelKS.com!
 No developed trails.
Click the icon to find a birding list for Gove County.
Click the icon to locate nearby Geocaches
Directions: The
Smoky Hill River crosses U.S. 83 about 25 miles north of Scott City. North of the
river 2.5 miles a sign directs visitors another 4 miles east and 2 miles south to Monument
Rocks.
For a Google Map for this site,
click here.
Ownership: Private;
10 acres
|
Funded by the
Chickadee Checkoff Program
Click here for a brochure! |
The Natural
Kansas web site
© 2011
by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Re-publication of site content in any form other than for personal use
requires written permission. If you are a Kansas resident, please
assist with this and other wildlife viewing and conservation programs
by contributing to the Chickadee Checkoff on your state tax form. |
Questions or comments about Natural Kansas may be directed to
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
|
